This week in Revolutionary War History, let’s discuss what was going on 250 years ago in and around the colonial Province of Massachusetts Bay. Last week was a busy one; a discussion between Philip Schuyler and representatives of the Haudenosaunee would eventually spell the confederation’s doom, standards are implemented for food and bread in the army, soldiers received forced payments to stagger lowering moral, the Continental Navy sees its first ship deployed, and troops march north to assault British positions in Quebec.

            On September 3, 1775, Washington’s focus is away from Boston and instead, directed 300 miles to the north at Quebec. Washington instructs Reuben Colburn of Gardiner, Maine (then called Gardnerstone and being a part of Massachusetts) on the Kennebec River to begin the construction of 200 small river boats, or “batteaus,” for operations and troop movements into Canada. These ships are to be used by Bennedict Arnold (still about 5 years off from news of his great betrayal) to link up with troops already sent north from Ticonderoga.

            On September 5 in his General Orders, Washington calls for the court martial of Captain Moses Hart, found guilty by Lieutenant Colonel Experience Storrs of Connecticut of “drawing for more provisions than he was entitled to and for unjustly confining, and abusing his men.” He is to be “cashiered,” or dismissed in disgrace. On the same day, around 700 volunteers from Pennsylvania and Virginia are arranged to parade around Cambridge. These men are soon (next week) to march north to Maine under Arnold. Also on September 5, Governor Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut warns Washington the waters of the Long Island Sound are “infested” by “Three Ships of War with thirteen other vessels.” He adds, “New London is in great fears, and Stonington expect another attack. I have ordered The new raised levies to guard and defend those two places, and the coasts as far as Connecticut River.” He does say he has sent all the hunting shirts they can acquire north to Cambridge. The next day, a shipment of three tons of powder will arrive in Norwich, which he also promises to send north.

            On September 6, Washington cracks down on liquor sales and drunkenness in his troops. He forbids the selling of alcohol to his men by anyone other than those appointed. His purpose in this is to “to prevent such evils from spreading in the camp.” He also writes a plea to the people of Bermuda, for whom he recently had smuggled powder from. He tells the inhabitants of the island, at the time about 12,000 people, that the American people have been scorned by British Ministers and policies, as have the Bermudans. Interestingly, he also refers to the ongoing conflict as a “civil war.” That same day, Washington pens his “To the Inhabitants of Canada” letter, to be taken with Bennedict Arnold on his expedition. It begins, “Friends and brethren: The unnatural contest between the English Colonies, and Great Britain has now risen to such a height, that arms alone must decide it.” In highlighting various disagreements and injustices, the General hopes to sway the British people to his side. At the time, the Thirteen Colonies were not set in stone as the sole combatants. Many at the time believe the Canadians and Catholic Quebecois would be swayed to join as well. He writes, “Incited by these Motives and encouraged by the advice of many friends of liberty among you, the Great American Congress have sent an army into your province, under the command of General Schuyler; not to plunder but to protect you.”

            Turning back to the home front, on September 8, Washington circulates a letter among his general officers. In it, he describes the “very interesting nature” of the conflict and continent. He quickly gets into the purpose of his writing: he seeks an assault on Boston. Due to the cooling temperatures and looming winter, time is very much of the essence. Should Boston not be captured before winter, comfortable barracks must be constructed, as well as acquiring wood, blankets, warm clothing, and much more. Easier said than done. He also fears should a sizable victory not be achieved and the discomforts of winter set in, a sizable desertion could be possible. He wishes to meet the generals in person in the coming days to draft a plan.

This Week In Revolutionary History…

By Sam Bishop

Protein has become America’s nutritional obsession, and protein bars have become a $2 billion/year business.

            The World Health Organization and the American National Academy of Medicine recommend that we get 0.8 grams/kg body weight daily. For a 180 lb. person, that would translate to about 65 grams of protein daily. At least 85% of Americans already get that much.

            For reference, 6 ounces of chicken give you 53 grams of protein while 6 ounces of salmon or lean hamburger give you 44. A 6 oz container of Greek yogurt supplies about 14 grams.

            Vegans must be more careful, but an ounce of almonds supply 6 gm, 8 oz of soy milk give 7 and 6 oz of tofu contain 14 gm protein.

            Does anyone need more protein? If you are working out vigorously trying to build muscle, upping your protein intake probably helps, but only up to double the recommended 0.8 gm/kg intake, with no added benefit no matter how much more protein you consume.

            Older adults often lose muscle mass. The greatest way to avoid this is with resistance training (lifting weights). There is some evidence that modest increase of protein intake, to about 1.2 gm/kg/day may help, but the key is exercise, not diet.

            What about protein bars?

            They can be an easy way to get calories and protein if you cannot eat a normal meal. Think long hikes or gym workouts squeezed in at lunch hour. They are certainly easy to carry.

            Be careful to read the ingredients. Manufacturers can slap a “high protein” label on anything, and the majority of “energy bars” are glorified candy bars, loaded with sugar and ultra-processed. Some of the better options are Clif Bars, RxBars and Rise protein bars, but even the better bars are not as good as a balanced meal with natural protein.

            Excess protein can be harmful to the kidneys, so keep your protein intake to no more than 1.6 gm/kg/day (130 gm for a 180 lb. person – proportionally more or less depending on your weight).

            Edward Hoffer MD is Associate Professor of Medicine, part-time, at Harvard.

What Does The Doctor Say?

By Dr. Edward Hoffer

Ask just about anyone, and they will most-fondly remember particular schoolteachers and principals who went out of their way to know them.

            In his decade of administration that followed his 20 classroom years, former Principal Kevin Tavares made it a mission to know each and every student that walked the halls of Old Hammondtown School. The culture that Tavares helped Rose Bowman instill in Mattapoisett Schools over their many years working together makes Tavares, a 2024 retiree, an ideal recipient of the 2025 Keel Award for the Town of Mattapoisett.

            Together, the two educators forged an identity and a platform upon which current principals Linda Ashley (Center School) and Stephanie Wells (Old Hammondtown) can build.

            “You just have to treat everyone as individuals. Each student that’s in front of you is different, and you have to realize that early on because there isn’t a one size fits all. …You have to meet every kid where they are, and the only way you can do that is to build a relationship with them,” said Tavares, who was moved by the news of his selection as the Mattapoisett recipient for The Wanderer’s annual Keel Award. “When I see students that I had in the past, they remember those small things, those little projects that we did, that weren’t just reading a book.”

            Tavares’ journey to Old Hammondtown wasn’t always on his radar, but a young man from Dartmouth who didn’t necessarily see himself following in his father’s 33-years-in-education footsteps discovered during his college years that education was where he belonged.

            A 1983 graduate Bridgewater State College (now University), Tavares’ association with Old Hammondtown began with a student-teaching placement in the fall of 1982.

            “I already had a connection with the school,” he said.

            His career in Mattapoisett Schools didn’t begin in earnest, however, until 1994, when his grandmother was perusing the “want ads” in late summer and spotted a small help-wanted to fill a teaching position at Old Hammondtown.

            “She saw that little ad in the paper,” Tavares recalls.

            Until then, the lack of teaching jobs had led him toward private-sector opportunities, and Tavares had a job working for a transportation company until it shut down, leaving him out of work. Education-related jobs were not growing on trees, and now his fallback in the business world was failing him. Things changed when a newly installed principal at Old Hammondtown interviewed Tavares, then called him back on Labor Day weekend, offering him his first job in education.

            “I knew that I always wanted to work with kids in some capacity, but it really was by chance,” said Tavares, still not realizing that his return to Old Hammondtown for his first teaching job would be the last move of his career. “I thought I was going to take a business track, but when it came down to it, I really was kind of called toward teaching and doing something with kids. …I ended up majoring in Elementary (Education), and that’s when I knew that I was really on the right path.”

            As Union President over 18 of his first 20 (classroom) years at Old Hammondtown, Tavares felt he had “a great relationship” with school committees.

            “Was it perfect? No. There were times when we agreed to disagree, but for the most part we have always had supportive school committees,” he said. “They don’t get enough credit in my opinion because we had a great working relationship. It wasn’t contentious… they were respectful of the teachers that we had.”

            Regarding his own path, Tavares said that, sometimes to a fault, his lens as an administrator was always through the eyes of the teacher.

            “Because it’s a hard job,” he said.

            Seeing the job from both sides, he developed his skills under the watchful eye of Bowman, the principal of Mattapoisett Schools. Tavares, when he moved to administration, was the visible leader of Old Rochester Regional Administration on the Old Hammondtown campus, but for eight of those years he had the benefit of Bowman’s experience. He said he learned from Bowman how to lead so that “teachers were able to do their job.”

            The Town of Mattapoisett had two principles (Center and Old Hammondtown elementary schools) in the 1980s but altered that plan during Bowman’s tenure to better connect the schools from a learning standpoint. With her retirement, the town restored the dual-principal structure, while ORR builds synergy via its district-wide learning plans under Superintendent Mike Nelson’s direction.

            While the student population at Old Hammondtown has decreased during Tavares’ 30-year career there from over 300 students in 1994 to 174 by the time he retired in 2024, the building has become far more adequate. Tavares began teaching in one of three “portable” classrooms (trailers), but the heart of the job, he says, doesn’t really change.

            “First and foremost, kids need to know that you care about them, that what they say matters. Then building relationships from there,” he said. “The most important thing to me was building the relationship early on, gaining trust, and to listen – because you can learn a lot when you listen.”

            Tavares built his career around the belief that a student that feels heard is more likely to engage, learn, remember, and become educated.

            “One of the things I learned earlier was you have to build relationships before you can do anything else because, if they don’t trust you, they’re not going to learn,” he said.

            In acknowledging that the culture of a school starts with its principal, Tavares looks up to Bowman for instilling and supporting those values.

            “I think that’s one of the things that Rose was able to do. To a certain extent what I was able to do in working with Rose was create a culture where teachers felt safe and trusted and were able to do their job. …Because of that, teachers tended to stay,” he said. “I had tremendous support from families over the years, and an amazing staff. I think one of the things that Mattapoisett should be most proud of is, when teachers start working there, they don’t leave.

            “If you look at the staff (at Center and Old Hammondtown schools), the teachers that are there have been there for a long time. They come, they stay. When they’re fortunate enough to get the job, they stay. I would imagine three quarters of the staff’s been there at least 20 years. …It’s a great place to teach.”

2025 Mattapoisett Keel Award

By Mick Colageo